win or die? WIN.

[shan-3414.livejournal.com]

Name: Shan
How did you find out about the community? If it's through an LJ user, please tell us who it is (individual user if possible, not just a community name!): I believe I first heard of it on mspixieriot's LJ!
Age: 24
Location: Kentucky, US
Occupation: Full-Time Student




All About You

1. Describe your ideal house/home. Please go into as much detail as possible, and be sure to include your ideal geographical location in the description!.

This is actually a tough one for me! I like all kinds of architecture, and there are many different places I'd love to live. I'll start by saying that I'd prefer a more temperate climate -- somewhere that's not burning hot or freezing cold all the time. I do love the turning of the seasons, so it doesn't need to always be mild; I'm just not fond of extreme climates.

My preferred location is probably somewhere in England; I'd love a house in the Victorian style, something with lots of history and character - though I'd never say no to living in a castle, either. ;) I'd also love to have an ultra-modern apartment in a big city - New York or London or LA, maybe. Something a bit sparse, with clean lines and stainless steel and exposed brick. I guess you could say I like a mix of both historical character and modern comfort!

2. Imagine you’re given the classic opportunity: a genie granting you three wishes. What would you wish for? Please be as elaborate as you can. Wishing for more wishes is not permitted!

(1) The opportunity to travel the world. I have a serious case of wanderlust, and this is my life's mission. I want to visit Europe in particular, but I'd love to experience all kinds of cultures; to eat different cuisines, to see all the wonders of the world, to learn more about the history of all the places I visit.

(2) Money. Lots of it. I know money can't buy happiness, but it can buy a lot of things that will contribute to my happiness. I like creature comforts. For me, it's less about the security money brings you than the opportunities it offers you. I love the idea of being able to hop on a plane and go anywhere you want in the world, just because you feel like it. And since traveling is so important to me, and traveling is expensive, money will certainly help.

(3) Greatness. Not necessarily fame, though I wouldn't mind that either; rather, being able to do something that leaves a real impact on the world, that proves I was here. Something that makes a difference. This could be anything from publishing a book to successfully campaigning for a cause I care about to discovering something new about the world. In another time or another world, I think I would have had a definite taste for adventure and glory; and though there's a lot less potential for that in the world today, I'd still like to live on in the annals of history.

3. In your life so far, what accomplishment are you the most proud of? Why? You can list more than one if you have trouble deciding. ;)

I honestly feel like most of my accomplishments are still ahead of me, and that I'm still working towards them. I'm proud of doing well in high school and graduating with a scholarship -- but only to an extent, as I know I could have done better had I really put my mind to it. I suppose I'm also proud of learning to vid, as it's something I picked up on my own and (even though it can be tedious and endlessly frustrating!) I really love it as a means of expression, and it's exciting to me when I'm able to see something in my head come to life in a video.

4. Which of the following is most important to you: Love, Money, Knowledge, Family, Friendship, Adventure, or Pleasure? Which is the least important to you? Please explain why for each choice.

This is really, really hard for me! I believe strongly that life is its own purpose, and in living fully, and I think that these are all aspects of that. I wouldn't want to do without any of them. That said, I'm going to go with adventure being the most important. That's how I want to approach every day, and life in general: as an adventure. As something to experience, and conquer. I really want to be the sort of person that embraces opportunities and learns from change, because I want my life to be full of all kinds of different experiences. (That said, I also put a lot of emphasis on knowledge, and on understanding the things you experience. And I couldn't imagine life without love, family, and friendship.)

For least important, I'll say money. It's not that I don't like money (I LOVE spending it!), and I'd definitely like to have some -- it's just that it's not important to me for its own sake. It's a means to an end, and though I think it plays a big part in getting me the other things I want in life, if I can have those things without money, that's fine by me. I don't care about money for the showiness or the prestige.

5. What's one quote (or passage, song lyric, etc.) that effectively describes you and your values? Explain.

I have two, because I just can't choose!

The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!" - Jack Kerouac

Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. The world you desired can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible, it's yours. - Ayn Rand

Literature and the power of words are really important to me, and these two quotes are among my all-time favorites. I believe, first and foremost, in living passionately, and I think these both really speak to that. I tend to quote the second one all over the place, just because it's such a strong reminder of the things I want out of life, and it pushes me to work towards them.

6. How do you manage your money? On that note, how important is money/financial security to you? Go into as much detail as you can.

I'm pretty good at managing money; I'm generally organized when it comes to that sort of thing, so I know how much I have, what I need to use it on, and how much I have left over to play with afterwards. I do love spending money, though; I get an itch to buy things when I have money in my pocket, and I love creature comforts and nice meals and shiny new things. Money isn't important to me in terms of security (though it's nice to have some to fall back on), so much as in how I can use it to get me what I want.

7. Name (and elaborate on) some of your hobbies. What are your favorite things to do outside of school/the office?

I love literature, movies, television, music, writing, video editing -- creative pursuits in general, really. I think, for me, it's part escapism, part appreciation for all the ways people reflect and interpret the world around them. I love traveling, even though I haven't had the opportunity to travel nearly as much as I'd like; like I said above, wanderlust definitely has me in its grips. I also love history and learning about it, and love historical fiction as well (particularly ancient, medieval, and English history).

8. Name three things you are afraid of. Explain.

(1) Failure. Not necessarily in the traditional sense, because I don't really mind if I never have a successful career and I don't want to raise a family. But I'm so scared of living an unfulfilled life, of never getting to see and experience all of the places I want to visit. And even though my family's expectations don't always jive with my own hopes and values, they're absolutely wonderful and I really value their opinions, so I'm also scared of disappointing them.

(2) Getting old. Not really dying (though I am one of those people who would choose to live forever, if given the option), but of growing feeble and being sick and not being able to enjoy life. Most of all, I'm scared of forgetting things, and of my mind deteriorating. I've never been an athletic or particularly active person, so my mind means a lot to me!

(3) Losing my family, girlfriend, and friends. I don't cope well with loss, and even though I can be a very independent (and sometimes private) person, my loved ones mean so, so much to me. It's really hard to imagine my world without them.

9. Name (and elaborate on) your top three BEST and top three WORST qualities (personality-related, not physical). Please answer as fully as you can, as this is an important question.

BEST:

(1) Passionate. As I mentioned, I think having passion is so important, and to me, the purpose of life is to live. I want to do things. I want to experience things. I want to be completely present, and to feel like I didn't waste a single moment. I try to approach everything in my life with passion, even the little day-to-day things.

(2) Intelligent. I love learning new things, and I place a lot of value on understanding versus just knowing something. Although I can be irrational and impulsive, I try to temper it by using my head once in a while, too. :P I like to think that I can carry on a decent conversation, and even though I'm not an expert at anything, I know at least a little about lots of topics!

(3) Creative. I think 'jack of all trades, master of none' describes me pretty well, because I like to dabble in lots of areas (writing, vidding, graphic art, photography, etc.) but I don't really excel at any of them. I'm definitely creative-minded, though, and appreciate the creativity of others. I love finding new ways to express myself, and creativity is a big part of my life.

WORST:

(1) Self-centered. I can be really, really selfish. I tend to have a one-track mind, and don't always factor other people into the equation. I'm bad about wanting to get my own way, and can definitely be bossy and overbearing. I'm generally a social, outgoing person and thrive on interaction, but I also need a balance of independent, alone time and can push people away when I want it.

(2) Contradictory. I'm a person of extremes, and my moods and personality traits are often at odds with each other. I can be one thing one minute, and something else entirely the next, and I'm not very good at striking a balance. I'm either extremely social or extremely withholding, very energetic and productive or completely lazy, ecstatic or totally bummed out. It's the flip side to being passionate, I think. :P

(3) High-strung. I can be anxious and irritable, and if something's upsetting me, I tend to latch on to it at the expense of everything else. I'm quick-tempered and restless, which often leads to me doing things impulsively or saying things I don't mean.





A Song of Ice and Fire Related

1.Who are your favorite three characters in the series? Why?

(1) Sansa - I think she's had such an interesting journey, and is one of the characters that has experienced the most growth. I love when dreamers are forced to deal with the harsh realities of the world, and manage to do it while still retaining a little bit of their hope, which I think is the case with Sansa. I think she's made of stronger stuff than anyone would expect, and has really started to come into her own.

(2) Jaime - Another character that has had a wonderful arc. I love that, initially, he's the sort of character you love to hate; but then you start to glimpse all the hidden complexities, and see that there's much more to him than that. He's strong in ways you'd never expect, and sort of stumbles along the path to redemption without really meaning to, and I love that about him.

(3) Daenerys - This girl, I swear. I think, in some ways, she and Sansa have a lot in common; both a bit naive at first, both forced to face the reality of the world too early. But whereas Sansa sort of struggles to hold on to the fraying edges of her past, and her hopes for her future, Dany sort of just grabs the present by the hair and says, 'This is the way it's going to be'. She's still very human, and prone to mistakes, but she's also brave and determined and relentless.

2.Who are your least favorite three characters in the series? Why?

(1) Loras Tyrell - It's not so much that I hate Loras, it's just that I find him weak in all but the most obvious ways. He's a warrior, and dazzlingly good looking, but to me, it's a lot of empty chivalry. I did like aspects of his relationship with Renly and his dedication to him, but I also find him sort of weak-willed and very much a follower. There are characters that I despise more than Loras, but in a love to hate sort of way; I just find his personality less vivid than a lot of other characters in the books.

(2) Walder Frey - He's the most despicable sort of human being. The Red Wedding is one of the scenes that has stuck with me; it wasn't just his actions, but his complete remorselessness that chilled me. He shows no regard for anyone, and I think he's fostered an environment of casual cruelty and indifference around him, one that's made many of his children and grandchildren almost as bad.

(3) Tywin Lannister - His behavior towards Tyrion was obviously deplorable, but I hated his treatment of Jaime and Cersei almost as much. He treated all of his family members as pawns, to do with as he liked, and dismissed any notion of individuality. He was cold, and seemed to take no pleasure in anything, and it was rather a relief when he got what was coming to him.

3.#1 Favorite moment in all of ASOIAF so far? Why?

Oh, man, I have so many. I think I'll say Sansa building Winterfell in the snow; even though it wasn't necessarily a game-changing scene, I think it said so much about how far she's come and was indicative of both her inner strength and that remaining spark of hope in her heart.

4. In your dream-world, how would you like to see the series end, and why?

I'd definitely love to see Dany on the throne. I'm fond of the idea of Dany/Jon, and would love to see them rule together; I think they'd be the perfect counterpoint to one another. I'd like Tyrion to be the Hand; I loved his interactions with Jon and can't imagine anyone better in the position. And I'd love Sansa to fully come into her own, be the Lady of Winterfell, and get a bit of happiness. Mostly, though, I'm just excited to see where everything goes!

Comments

Stark

[esc-key.livejournal.com]

Targaryen.